Sophie CP #1- Rayan

My first conversation partner meeting was with Rayan Nasser, who is from Saudi Arabia and speaks Arabic as his first language. We met at Starbucks, and talked for an hour about Tallahassee. We both compared our hometowns to Tallahassee, so not only was I able to learn about the differences between Tallahassee and where Rayan is from, but this way he also learned a bit about how Tallahassee differs from another part of Florida. We talked about our favorite places in Tallahassee- restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and activities. We also talked about our pets- he has a husky back at home, and I have a kitten here in Tallahassee. Another thing we talked about is languages and language learning. I'm learning Spanish as my second language, so I compared my experiences with that to Rayan's experiences with English. I was also able to talk to him about Arabic a little, because I've come into contact with some aspects of it in my linguistics classes, and because I have a friend who majored in Arabic and is currently in Morocco studying abroad. I enjoyed talking to Rayan; we have a lot in common, and I'm looking forward to showing him some of my favorite spots in Tallahassee! This week we're planning on meeting at All Saints Cafe, my very favorite place here.